Just Give Me a Reason
by AnnikaMalfoy
Summary: Sequel to What Hurts the Most. After a one night stand with Jacob, Bella has a big decision to make. A decision that could ruin her life and possibly destroy two races. What will she choose? Who will be hurt in the process? And can anything good come out of all of this?
1. Don't Leave

**A/N: Alright my loyal readers, it is time for the moment you have all been waiting for. The sort of sequel to What Hurts the Most. Bella will make a choice, and this one will, hopefully, have a happier ending. **

**BELLA**

A million thoughts ran through my mind when I awoke the morning after sleeping with Jacob. The first and probably most guilty was how amazing Jacob had been. I wasn't sure if that was his first time, but I assumed it was. He always seemed too crazy about me to want to do it with anyone else. Yet, he did it like a pro. He did things to me that Edward had been too afraid to do on our honeymoon, and it blew my mind.

The second was how badly I had screwed up. I cheated on my husband with my best friend. How could I have done that to Edward after everything we'd been through? Edward had protected and taken care of me on too many occasion for me to count. And this was how I repaid him, sleeping with another man who I still had feelings for. No, it was wrong. So wrong. How was I going to explain this to him? Could he forgive me? Could I even forgive myself?

The third was how this was going to affect my relationship with Jacob. Surely he knew this could never happen again. But I knew this was going to affect him in the worse possible way. Would he tell me that he didn't want to be my friend anymore? Or would he stay by my side and watch my relationship with Edward get past this and flourish, all the while being torn up inside wishing it could've been him?

I didn't know. All I knew was that I needed to talk to Jacob. I needed to let him know that this could never happen again. And to tell him that I was sorry for screwing everything up. Then I needed to beg Edward for forgiveness and pray we could get past this.

I reached over to shake Jacob awake. This conversation was going to be painful, so there was no point in putting it off. Only when I placed my hand where I thought Jacob's shoulder would be, I met nothing but air. Pain shot through me as I shot up in bed. Had he really just had sex with me and just left before having to face me? I supposed I couldn't blame him, though. If I was in his place, I'd want to get out of there before I got my heart trampled on any more than it already had been.

I supposed I could just get up and start figuring out what I was going to say to each of my guys when the time came. There was no point in lying in bed waiting for the moment to happen. Yet, all I wanted to do was sink into the pillows and disappear from the rest of the world. How could I have let this happen?

I used to scoff when people claimed their unfaithfulness was a moment of weakness. If you truly loved someone, there would be no moment of weakness. I now understood it, at least a little. I still loved Edward with all my heart, but going through Charlie's things alone the night before had been a mistake. Edward and the others had been on a short hunting trip. Jacob was the closest source of comfort I had. I hadn't expected things to get that out of hand. What was I going to do?

A small piece of paper fluttered to the floor as I stood up. I bent down, picked it up, and unfolded it.

_Bella,_

_I hope you don't think the worst of me for running off before you even woke up. It really wasn't my intent. Sam called for an emergency meeting early this morning and I didn't want to wake you. _

_I have to tell you, though. Last night was the best night of my life. You were absolutely amazing and beautiful. I have never felt closer to you in my life. Thank you for giving me that experience. I will treasure it forever. _

_That being said, I know you are going to tell me that it can't and won't ever happen again. You love Edward, and he is your husband. I get it. I do. As wonderful as last night was, I agree that it shouldn't have happened. And I'm okay with that. _

_I'm still here, though, as your friend, and I'm not going anywhere. I will love you in whatever capacity you need for the rest of your life. _

_I'll see you later. _

_Love, _

_Jacob_

Tears fill my eyes as I read those words. The words alone were not enough to bring tears to someone's eyes. No, it was the things that Jacob didn't say. He was trying to be the better man and do what was best for me, and it was killing him. How could I stay here after ripping his heart out like this? How could I expect Edward to take me back?

It was slowly becoming clear that I would never be able to truly choose between the two men that had come to mean everything to me. I was only going to continue to hurt them both if I stayed in Forks and tried to maintain a relationship with both of them. Yet, I couldn't imagine my life without either of them. And I honestly didn't know what to do.

Perhaps it would be better for both of them, if I just walked away from them both. If I just went back to Jacksonville, divorced Edward, and moved on with my life. Alone. Living the rest of my life without either one of them would be nothing less than what I deserved.

The money Charlie had left me in his will would be enough to get me to Jacksonville, and probably a little apartment to start my new life. Or I could just move in with my mom until I was in a better spot financially. I hated the idea of doing it, but it was for the best.

Once the decision was made, I climbed out of the bed, and went downstairs in search of pencil and paper. I wasn't about to leave the two men I loved more than anything else in the world high and dry. They deserved an explanation. Truly, they deserved a face-to-face one, but I knew if I gave it to them they would find a way to convince me to stay. Why should I be allowed to stay and have happiness when that would do nothing but hurt the two men I was supposed to love? No, I was going to walk away from this and save both of them the heartache of a future playing tug-of-war with me. It was the only way to end this.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Alice's voice caused me to jump as I reached the bottom of the stairs. She was sitting in Charlie's favorite chair in the living room. She was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a dirty white tank top. Her hair was a bit of a mess, and there were rips in the jeans. It looked like she hadn't even bothered to change after hunting. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her eyes were narrow slits.

"Alice," I said a little nervously as I leaned against the living room doorframe. I had been hoping to get out of here before the Cullens returned from their trip. I was going to leave the letters on the table for Edward and Jacob to find. I supposed that was out of the question now. "What are you doing here?"

"I was full." She shrugged. "So I'd figured I'd come home early and check on you. Edward and Carlisle were really worried about leaving you here alone after everything…"

She trailed off. We both knew she was referring to Charlie's death and funeral being so fresh. I was supposed to stay home while they were gone, but just sitting there had been driving me stir crazy. I thought I'd be okay spending some time at Charlie's, but as last night proved, I was wrong. And now, everything was too screwed up for words.

"Well, I'm fine." I said trying to smile. I needed to get rid of her so that I could continue making my plans to leave before either of them returned. "I just spent the night here because I was going through some of Charlie's things, that's all."

"Really, then how come most of last night your future was blocked to me." Alice argued. Damn it! I should've known better than to try to pull one over on the psychic. She would be the one to see right through my reasoning. "And when I could finally see you again, all I saw was you getting on a plane and never coming back."

I sighed and shook my head. Alice was like me. When we wanted something we didn't stop until we got it. She wanted to know what was going on with me, and she wouldn't drop it until I told her. The only way I was going to get out of this was by confessing everything to her and praying she would help me.

"I did something horrible last night, Alice." I said sinking to the floor where I already was. I didn't have the energy or the will to move any further into the living room. Instead, Alice came to me sliding down to sit in front of me.

"Well, I'm sure whatever it is, doesn't warrant you leaving us forever." She said. "You know we love you and nothing you do can change that."

"Don't say that until you hear what I've done." I said.

Then I broke into the story of how I got bored at home and decided to come here to go through Charlie's things. I explained how it turned out to be too much, and I called Jacob to come help me deal and pick some things up. I told her how we started just talking, then I started crying, and Jacob held me. I told her how the embrace turned into a kiss and the kiss turned into making out. I finally explained how we had sex twice after that before falling asleep.

By the time I was finished, I was sobbing, and Alice had pulled me into her arms. She gently rubbed my shoulder as I explained my plans to leave because I thought that would be best for everyone involved. It was a good thing that she had vampire hearing. I don't think a human could've accurately deciphered anything I said during those moments.

"You don't have to leave, Bella." She whispered when I had finished explaining. "Just talk to them. From what you've told me about the note Jacob left, he understands. Edward will too, and he will forgive you. You could probably murder every person he's ever loved, and he'd still forgive you. He loves you so much Bella. He wouldn't let this get in the way of your relationship."

"I know, but he deserves so much better, Alice." I said, wiping the tears and trying to regain a little composure. "They both do."

"I'm sure they'd both disagree." She argued.

"It doesn't change the fact that it's true, Alice. They both love me, and I love both of them, but I am never going to be able to completely give myself to either of them. I may have chosen Edward, but there will always be a part of me that yearns for Jacob; a part that wants all the things he can give me that Edward can't. And that's not fair to Edward. It isn't fair to Jacob either."

"And you think it's fair to take yourself out of both their lives forever?" Alice questioned. "Because it's not. It is just going to hurt them more in the long run."

"Maybe, but I can't do this to them anymore, Alice. It's not right. Jacob deserves to find someone who can give him all of her heart, and Edward… Edward deserves someone he doesn't have to pretend with. He deserves someone he can have sex with and not fear hurting. He deserves someone who can protect herself, not someone who is always going to need protection. Mostly, he deserves someone that can be with him fully. And not someone who is always going to have a special place in her heart for someone else."

"But he wants you." Alice argued. "Nothing else is gonna matter to him."

I sighed and pulled away from her. She was starting to make sense, and I hated it. I needed to leave and allow Edward and Jacob to move on with their lives without having to worry about me. I needed to give them a chance to be without me and find another girl who can give them everything that I couldn't. I couldn't let Alice convince me this wasn't a good idea.

I stood up and adjusted my clothing. "Look, Alice, I've made up my mind. I'm leaving and not coming back. The only thing I need from you is to know whether or not you are going to help me. If you are, you can stay. If not, leave."

I knew Edward and the others were too far away to make it back before I could get on the plane, and Jacob was doing pack stuff. Even if Alice got a hold of them and told them my plans, I'd be gone before they could even get back to Charlie's place.

Alice sighed and continued to glare at me. Eventually she stood and held her arms out to me. I stepped into them and embraced her like the sister she had always been to me.

"I love you, Bella." Alice whispered. "You have been like family to me since the moment Edward met you, and I would do anything for you, even if it hurts. If you wanna leave, then I will help you leave, but I want you to know, that it is under great protest."

"Noted." I said allowing her to hold me tightly for a few more minutes. This was probably the last little bit of time we'd get to spend together and I wanted to cherish it.

**ALICE**

"Okay." Bella said as she pulled away swiping at a few stray tears. "I have to leave notes for the boys, so I'll be in the kitchen handling doing that. Can I trust you not to call anyone while I do that?"

"Scout's honor." I said raising my hand in salute and giving her one of my best grins.

Little did she know, I had no intention of keeping that promise, nor did I have any intention of letting her leave. We both knew that Edward would forgive her and take her back with no questions asked. In fact, he would probably find a way to blame himself for the fact that she slept with someone else. It was just Bella's natural instinct to blame herself for everything that made her think she had to leave. I just needed to get Edward here before she could get out of the house.

As she disappeared into the kitchen, I pulled out my cell phone and frantically punched in his number.

"He won't answer." A quiet voice said from behind me. "And even if he could, he would never get here in enough time to stop her."

I ended the call and spun around to find a young man standing in front of the chair that I had recently vacated. He looked to be just under six feet tall and not much older than twenty. His muscles would've put Emmett's to shame. His shoulder length blonde hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and there was a kindness in his red eyes that I hadn't seen in a non-vegetarian.

His brow was creased in concern, but he looked perfectly comfortable, as if he hadn't snuck in or broke in, or whatever it was he had done to get in. He was wearing a pair of washed out blue jeans and a wife beater that stretched tightly over his beautifully muscled chest.

"First of all, who the hell are you?" I whispered. Bella was already going through too much. I didn't want to give her reason to worry about some stranger in her house. "Secondly, how the hell did you get in here? And what the hell are you talking about?"

"Sorry." He said, standing up and walking over to me. "It has been awhile since I have been around people who cared about introductions. My name is Damien Anderson." He held his hand out to me.

"Alice Cullen." I shook his hand and shot a quick glance toward the kitchen door.

"Don't worry about her hearing us." He told me. "She is too absorbed in writing her goodbyes to notice much of anything. It's nice to finally meet you, though. I've heard a great deal about you."

His words didn't really surprise me. As a member of Carlisle's family, each one of us was sort of legendary in our own right. My gift made me even more so than the others. Vampires on the other side of the world were telling stories about me.

"And who have you heard from?" I asked.

"That doesn't matter." He waved off the question. "What matters is what I have to tell you."

"And that is?"

"Bella's life and the futures of vampires and werewolves alike are hinged on this moment." He said.

The words sent a chill down my spine. As a psychic, it was easy to tell when someone else had the gift. And Damien had it. I sensed that it was a million times more powerful than mine. It didn't make sense, but he was definitely telling the truth.

What was worse, whatever he had seen had scared him. I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. Whatever was going to happen in the next few minutes was going to affect not just Bella's future, but the future of two races. It was enough to scare anyone, but I needed more information.

"I don't understand." I said.

"If Bella leaves now, it screws up everything for her future as well as her daughter's future which will eventually mean the end of both vampires and werewolves. I can't tell you too much more."

"Bella doesn't have a dau…" I trailed off as I remembered what happened with Jacob the night before. Had they been too caught up that they forgot to use protection? Or had Bella just been so used to not needing it that she didn't think about it?

"She will in nine months." Damien said simply. "And her daughter is important to the survival of both our races. If Bella leaves, bad things will happen, and the girl won't grow up to be who she is meant to be."

"And who is that?" I asked. It was obvious that he was a psychic, but I didn't like the fact that he knew more about things than I did. I had only just found out that Bella slept with Jacob. It hurt to know that he knew she was pregnant already. I was her best female friend and a psychic; I should've been the first to know. Not some stranger.

"I've already told you too much." He shook his head. "If I say anymore, it will ruin things. You just can't let her leave."

"And how do I know you aren't manipulating this into something you want?" I asked. I admitted that he was a psychic and a better one than I, but I wasn't about to just trust him without any proof. "I mean, I just met you."

"You don't trust me, I get it." He held his hand out to me. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Let the vision of Bella and the baby's future if she walks out that door speak for itself." He answered holding his hand out to me. "My gift allows me to share my visions with other psychics." He explained before I could question. "I cannot manipulate them in anyway. What you see is what I saw."

"How do I know you are telling the truth?" I stepped a little closer to him.

"You don't." Damien grinned at me. "But can you afford to not trust me right now? She is your best friend after all."

He was right. Bella was my best friend. The rest of it didn't matter. If Bella and her child's lives were potentially in danger, I was going to do everything in my power to make sure they both lived full and happy lives. I sighed, took his hand, and was sucked into the worst, most depressing vision I had ever seen.

**BELLA **

Writing my goodbyes to Jacob and Edward was a lot harder than I expected. I fought my tears the entire time I was writing. I couldn't let myself break down until after I was on the plane. If I let myself feel too much, I wouldn't go through with it. As much as I hated it, it was the best thing for everyone. I just had to grit my teeth and do it.

I was extremely grateful for Alice's decision to help. She could insure the boys didn't find out I was gone until I was on the plane and well on my way to Jacksonville. I just hated having to ask her to hurt her brother like that. I didn't know what else to do, though.

Once both letters were finished, I placed them in envelopes and wrote each boy's name on them. I drew a little heart at the bottom of both envelopes and wiped the few tears that had managed to escape as I wrote finished my letter to Edward.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I returned to the living room to find Alice was still alone. I hadn't been completely positive that she was truly on board with the plan. There was a chance that she had used my absence to call her brother or Jacob. Thankfully, it didn't appear that she had done either.

She was standing just slightly inside the door to the living room as still as a statue staring at nothing. He hand was outstretched as if she was reaching for something. It was a little weird, but I didn't think too much on it. Alice was a little weird after all.

"Alice." I called. "I'm finished, but we need to go over the rest of my plan."

She didn't respond, so I walked to stand in front of her. I had no idea why she didn't answer. I knew she had been able to hear me.

"Alice." I said holding the letters out to her. "I need you to take these." She didn't respond to me, or move to grab the letters. She just continued to stand there, still as ever. "Alice?"

Panic overcame me, and I considered calling Carlisle. True, it would mess up my plans to leave, but I didn't want Alice to suffer because of that.

"Alice, talk to me, or I'm going to call Carlisle." I said in as stern a voice as I could.

Finally, she blinked and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Alice, are you okay?" I asked in a hoarse voice as I held the letters out to her.

She didn't answer. She just stared at the envelopes in my hand for a long time. Finally, she looked me in the eye. I will never forget the look of absolute horror and sadness in those pretty butterscotch eyes.

"Don't do this, Bella." She said so quietly I could barely hear her. "Don't leave."

**A/N: Well, what do you guys think of Chapter 1? There was supposed to be more, but it was getting too long for more. You will find out what Bella decides in the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. **


	2. Just Give Me A Reason

**A/N: Sorry this has taken so long to get out. Life has been happening like crazy lately, and this is the first chance I've had to sit down and actually work on something. I know you are all dying to know what Bella is going to choose. Don't worry you will get the answer in this chapter, along with a ton of other excitement. Let's get started!**

**ALICE**

The future Damien had showed me was as miserable as it was terrifying, and it ended in tragedy. Four lives were completely destroyed by Bella's decision to leave; one of which was completely innocent.

The baby that would soon be growing inside my best friend would grow into a beautiful, strong, werewolf who valued family and loyalty above anything, but if Bella left, the Volturi would destroy that by first destroying her mother. I couldn't let that happen, especially if what Damien said was true. I didn't know how she would be the savior of both our races, but I couldn't let that future come to pass.

It didn't matter that she might have a bigger destiny than your average werewolf. The only thing that matter was that she was my niece, and I wasn't going to let anyone hurt her, not even her own mother.

"Don't do this." I whispered to Bella after taking a moment to collect my thoughts. "Don't leave."

Her face fell and the hurt and sadness in her eyes intensified—something I didn't think was possible. She stared at me for a long moment, and I didn't need to be able to read her thoughts to know what she was thinking. She thought I was trying to stall her because I was waiting for back up.

I didn't say anything else. If she wanted to believe I was stalling, fine, as long as it kept her in the house. In the house, I could reason with her. I could beg and plead until she agreed to stay. Once she left and got into her car, it would be impossible to get her to come back.

She dropped the hand holding the letters and shook her head at me.

"Fine." She said. "If you don't wanna help me, I will do it on my own."

She didn't say anything else as she walked back to the kitchen. I was too stunned and shaken to follow her right away. The fact that she didn't stand there and argue with me told me that she was absolutely serious about leaving, and I couldn't let that happen. I honestly didn't know how to stop it.

I wished Damien had hung around to answer the tumult of questions that were running through my mind. Was this possible future a secret that I couldn't tell anyone? Or was I supposed to pull out all the stops to convince her to stay?

He just showed me the future and disappeared before the vision was even over. How was I supposed to convince the most stubborn human in the world not to do something she thought was right?

"Do whatever you have to do to convince her." Damien's voice came from behind me again. I whirled to find him, once again, in front of Charlie's chair. His arms were crossed over his chest. "Even if that means telling her everything I showed you in great detail."

"How did you get in here?" I asked. I heard his words but was too stunned to see him behind me again. I hadn't even heard him come in this time. Hell, I hadn't even heard him come in the first time.

"It is another special talent that comes with my gift." He shrugged. "But that's not important. You have to convince her to stay."

"I get that." I answered in a whisper. "But you obviously haven't met Isabella Swan, the stubborn mule." I gestured to the kitchen.

"I didn't say it was going to be easy. I just said it had to be done. And if anyone can do it, Alice, it's you."

And just like that, he was gone in time for Bella to come back from the kitchen. She no longer held the notes in her hand. She didn't even glance at me before going up the stairs. I sighed and followed her to her room. How was I going to convince her to stay? Would she even believe me?

I stepped into her bedroom to find that she was throwing clothes into a small bag that sat opened on her bed.

"Bella, please." I begged. "Don't do this. Edward will forgive you for what you did with Jacob. Jacob will forgive you for it, too. You just have to ask, but if you leave…" I trailed off, shaking my head.

I needed to tell her all about what Damien had showed me, but I had no idea how. Where should I start? Should I tell her about Jacob and Edward? Or just about her and her daughter? There were so many questions that I didn't have time to process.

"If I leave, what?" Bella asked whipping around to face me. I could see there were tears burning in her eyes. She wanted to cry, but she wouldn't let herself. "Edward and Jacob will be able to move on with their lives. They will both be able to find someone who loves them as much as they love me; someone who will be able to give them everything. They will never again have to be hurt by the fact that I can't choose between them. They will both be better off without me." She went back to shoving clothes into the little bag, but her last words set me off.

"You wanna know how much better off they'll be without you?" I asked. "Edward will spend the next seventeen years blaming himself for your leaving. He will walk around as a shell of the man he is when he is with you. He will completely lose himself for a while. Jacob will be the same way. He will sink so deep into depression that not even his pack will be able to pull him back. In two years, he will put a gun to his head, and Sam barging in will be the only thing that keeps him from pulling the trigger."

She looked at me with eyes filled with sadness, terror, and anger.

"You're lying!" She yelled. "Jacob's stronger than that. Besides, you can't even see the wolves. You'll say anything to get me to stay."

"I would not lie about this, Bella." I said. "I can't tell you how or why, but I saw it and a number of other bad things that will happen if you walk out that door."

"Like what?" She snapped, zipping the bag and throwing it over her shoulder.

"You will spend the next seventeen years feeling empty inside." I told her. I left out the part about the baby. I didn't want to ruin that surprise for her unless she gave me know other choice. "You will date several guys, but never find someone who loves you the way Jacob and Edward do."

"I can live with that." She told me walking to her bedroom door.

I stepped in front of it, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at her. I wasn't going to let her walk into the future that awaited her if she walked out that door.

"The Volturi will track you down and take you to be Aro's _pet_." I emphasized the word pet. She had heard enough of Jasper's stories about the southern wars to know what the word meant.

I saw her resolve falter for only half a second before she actually tried to push me out of her way.

"I will take my chances on that." She told me. "Now, get out of my way."

"And when Aro realizes you'll be of more use to him as a vampire, he will make you forget everything and change you." I continued, grabbing her wrists to keep her from hitting me. "He will then feed you some lie about how you are Felix's mate and Edward kidnapped and raped you. He will turn you against us."

Those words made her freeze. Family meant a lot to Bella, especially our family. We had accepted as part of our family, even with her flaws and imperfections, from the moment Edward brought her home. We had risked our lives for her, and she did everything in her power to keep bad things from happening to us. There was no way she would ever put herself in a position that would potentially harm us.

"Why would they do that?" She asked.

"I don't know, but they will." I answered. "If you stay, and make the change, they will have no reason to come after you, though."

"We both know that if Aro wants it, Aro will get it." Bella answered. "It doesn't matter if I stay or go. He will take me if that's what he wants."

"But the family can protect you here." I pleaded. I couldn't believe how stubborn she was being about all of this. I was giving her every reason in the world to stay and she was still fighting it. Did she honestly believe that she deserved this? "The pack can protect you here. We won't let Aro anywhere near you. You know that."

"I don't deserve to be protected." She answered, slipping out the bedroom door. I had let my guard down when she stopped struggling with me, and she took full advantage. "Not after what I've put those boys through. I deserve to die a long horrible death after all of this."

I swallowed hard as I watched her make her way to the stairs. I didn't want to have to do this, but she was really giving me no choice.

"What about your daughter?" I called. "What does she deserve?"

**BELLA**

I froze on the stairs as Alice's words reached my ears. Nothing she had said in the last half hour about this horrible potential future was enough to give me pause. I didn't believe anything she had to say about Edward and Jacob's inability to deal with my leaving, and none of the other stuff mattered to me anymore. It wasn't like I didn't deserve it for the hell I put those two boys through.

The comment about my daughter had caught my off guard. My hand fluttered to my stomach, and I looked down at it. I couldn't be pregnant. It would be too much of a fluke.

"I'm not pregnant." I said not turning around. My voice sounded sure, but I knew my face told a different story. There was a very real possibility that I was pregnant. I didn't want Alice to see the confusion and doubt.

"Really? Did you and Jacob use a condom last night?" She asked. Her voice was kind but firm, like a teacher telling a student that two plus two equals four. "Because I know you aren't not on the pill. There's no reason to be when you're having sex with a vampire."

It was true. I wasn't on the pill, but Jacob and I hadn't used a condom. I didn't have any on hand and didn't want Jacob to stop long enough for him to dig one out of the shorts he had shed just before we started. I knew if we stopped, even for a moment, my senses would catch up to me. And I didn't want to think last night; I had just wanted to feel. Jacob helped me do that.

"No, we didn't." I said quietly. "He wanted to get one, but I told him not to."

"Then you know I'm telling the truth." Alice said. He voice sounded closer than it had been a few moments before. "So I'll ask again, what does your daughter deserve? To be lied to all her life? To grow up without a father? To lose her mother at sixteen? To never know about her heritage until she's in the midst of a transformation? To spend even a day as Aro's pet in an attempt to save her mother?"

I sank to the step just above the one I was standing on; all thoughts of everything else gone from my mind. I was going to be a mother. It wasn't about me anymore. It was about the little baby growing inside of me. All of my decisions had to be about her from now on. Sure, it would be easier for me to run away with her, but that wouldn't be fair. Or right. I had to do what was right by her, even if it was hard for me.

She deserved to grow up being loved by her families and knowing who she is. She didn't deserve to suffer for my mistakes, and she would unless I made the decision to stay.

"She doesn't deserve any of that." I said still staring at my stomach in disbelief. "She's the innocent one in all of this."

"Then stay." Alice sat beside me on the stair and placed a hand on my shoulder. "If not for yourself, or Edward and Jacob, stay for the innocent little baby who needs to be surrounded by the love of her families."

"Okay." I sighed, laying my head on her shoulder. "I'll stay."

"Good."

**DAMIEN**

I stood outside the house listening as Alice finally convinced Bella that she needed to stay for the sake of her friends and family. I found myself wondering why Alice hadn't played the baby card sooner. Any mother would've done anything to see her child happy, even if it meant doing something she didn't want to do. All Alice had to do was tell her she was pregnant. I supposed the methods didn't matter, as long as the job got done. I still didn't get it, though.

"Phase one is complete." I said to the thin air.

"I can see that." A little girl of nearly ten with bleach blonde hair appeared next to me. Her hair was done in pigtails, and she was wearing the same little blue dress she had been wearing the last time I saw her. Thankfully, my gift had taken away the gruesome fang marks and blood that littered her body the last time I held her in my arms. "Now, we just need to get the boy here."

"Did you get the information I asked you for?" I questioned.

"Yes." She answered. "Nancy Anderson is indeed pregnant and is due a few weeks before Bella. Rob Anderson is up for a few marketing jobs. Two in Jacksonville and one here in Forks."

"Then I will make sure he gets the one in Forks." I told her. "It is imperative that those two meet for my plan to work."

"And what exactly is your plan, Daddy?" She asked.

"All you need to know, Danica, is that I am going to get revenge on the monsters that took you and you mother from me and turned me into this monster. I just need a little help."

"Revenge isn't the way to go." A soft quiet voice said from behind me. I whirled around to find my wife standing behind me. Her blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun and she was wearing the long purple dress she had been wearing on the last night—her 23 birthday. It was the last time we had dinner together. Again, my gift had rid her of the bite marks and blood spatters the monsters had left on her. "You should simply join the Cullen clan. They can teach you to live the way you want to. You don't have to be the monster the Volturi turned you into."

"I need to do this, Mel." I said reaching up to touch her face. She was just a phantom of what she used to be, so I knew I wouldn't be able to make contact. Instead, I pretended that I could feel her face under my hand. "I need to show them that they can't take whatever they want, whenever they want it. And this girl and this boy can help me do it."

"It's wrong." Mel whispered.

"Maybe, but I will not let what they did go unpunished." I told her.

She nodded helplessly. I knew from the moment I escaped Volterra and began plotting my revenge that Melanie wasn't happy about it, but that didn't stop her from helping me. She did everything I asked her to do to help me get my revenge. She wouldn't abandon me, no matter, how she felt about what I was doing.

The smell of wet dog hit me hard interrupting our intimate moment.

"The mutt's coming." I told Danica and Melanie. "We need to get out of here before he smells me."

Danica and Melanie disappeared as I took off into the woods. I would come back later to make sure things were still on the right track.

**ALICE**

Bella and I sat on the stairs for a long few minutes. Bella was crying into my shoulder while I held her close and comforted her as best I could. I didn't imagine any of this was easy for her. I found myself wishing I could do more for her.

"What am I gonna do, Alice?" Bella asked through her tears.

"What do you mean?" I asked afraid that she was going to change her mind about staying.

"Well, I'm staying and keeping my baby." She pulled away from me, wiping her tears on the sleeve of her sweatshirt. "But I don't know what's gonna happen after that. Will Edward be okay with me having Jacob's baby? Will he still love me? Will Jacob be okay with Edward helping to raise her? And if that works out, how am I supposed to raise my werewolf baby in a home full of vampires? I mean, we have to move all the time. How is she ever going to be able to get to know her father?"

Bella was headed into a full on panic attack as she finished her speech. I could already hear the tell-tale signs of hyperventilation in her breathing. If she didn't calm down we were going to have to make a trip to the hospital.

"Bella, relax." I whispered, stroking her hair. "Yes, those are all things that you need to think about, but they are nothing to panic about it. Jacob and Edward are both good men, Bella, and they love you. They will do whatever they have to do to help you raise this baby, even if it means playing nice for the rest of their lives. They've only ever wanted you to be happy. If having this baby will make you happy, then they will make it work."

"How do you know that?" Bella asked, standing up and heading back to her room. "How do you know it will work out?"

"I don't, but I know how Edward and Jacob feel about you. I know they would do anything for you. And I know that whatever happens from this moment on, will be better than what would've happened if you had walked out that door." I followed her back to the bedroom where she flopped down on the bed, burying her face in her pillow.

She let out a scream of frustration. It would've been muffled to human ears, but I heard every bit of pain and fear in her scream. I walked over to the bed and sat next to her, gently massaging her shoulders.

"It will work out, Bella." I told her. "I don't know how, but it will. And I will be with you every step of the way as will Edward and Jacob."

"But what if they can't handle it?" She said into the pillow. "What if Edward can't handle it?"

"Then we will cross that bridge when we come to it." I answered. "But the only way you are ever going to find out is if you talk to the two of them first."

She sighed into the pillow but didn't move. I took a deep breath unsure of what else to say. The smell of wet dog hit me hard, and I would've gagged if I was a human. As it was, I looked down at Bella and ran my fingers through her hair again.

"You can start with Jacob." I said. "He is on his way in."

As if on cue, I heard the front door open and close. I tried not to breath as I listened to his footsteps around the living room.

"Bella!" he called. "Are you up, yet?"

"_If she wasn't, she would be now." _I thought, shaking my head at the dog's manners. "Yes, Jacob." I called down the stairs. Bella and I are in her room."

Bella had pushed herself up from the pillow and was staring at me with wild eyes. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Do you want me to stay while you talk to him?" I asked as Jacob's footsteps came up the stairs.

"No." Bella answered. "This is a conversation that he and I need to have privately. Stay close, though. I might need you later."

"I won't go far, then." I hugged her as tightly as I could without hurting her.

"Am I interrupting something?" Jacob's voice came from the doorway. I turned around to see him leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. He had a playful smile on his face until he caught sight of Bella's face. "Bella, what's wrong?" He asked, rushing to her side.

"We need to talk." Bella whispered.

"And that's my cue." I said. "I'll be far enough to give you your privacy, but close enough to hear you call."

"Thanks." Bella answered.

"And Jacob, if you hurt her physically or emotionally after this conversation, I will let my brother have at you."

I knew that last bit probably wasn't necessary, but I didn't know how Jacob was going to react to this news. I didn't want him to think he could get away with shirking his responsibilities, especially when it came to Bella. She was part of the Cullen family, and we would destroy anyone who tried to hurt her.

I left the house at vampire speed, stopping only when I was a good distance into the woods. I pulled out my cell phone then and dialed Edward's number. I prayed he would answer.

"Alice, is everything alright?" Edward answered after the forth ring. "Is Bella in trouble?"

I sighed. How was I going to explain things to him without making him worry?

"Sort of." I finally answered.

"What do you mean sort of? Is she hurt? Is someone after her?" Edward pressed.

"Nothing like that." I shook my head unable to believe how easily he could panic over his wife. "I can't explain it without betraying her confidence, but you need to get back as soon as you can. She really needs to talk to you."

"Okay." He answered. I could hear the worry and confusion in his tone. I wanted to reassure him that it was nothing to worry about, but I couldn't. His wife was about to tell him that she had an affair with his worst enemy and was now pregnant with his child. That was not going to go over well.

Yes, I was confident that he would forgive her and be willing to help raise the baby, but I knew it would be a hard pill for him to swallow. I wasn't about to make him swallow it over the phone, and I wasn't going to make him believe that it wasn't a big deal. It was a huge deal.

"Tell her I will be back tonight. We can drive to Port Angeles or something." He said.

"Or you could just stay in?" I suggested.

"Why don't I like the sound of that?"

"Because it isn't going to be a pleasant conversation." I said, leaving out the part about how I was going to have Emmett and Jasper on standby in case he tried to do something stupid, like break the treaty so he could break Jacob's neck.

"Alice, just tell me what's going on."

"I can't." I said. "It is something Bella needs to do on her own. Just get home as soon as possible. She's with Jacob right now, but I will have her home before you get there."

"Okay. I will be there as soon as I can."

"And Edward, I'm sorry."

**A/N: Well, what do you guys think about this one? Opens a lot of questions, doesn't it. In the next chapter Bella will tell the boys what happened. I can't wait to write that one. Anyway, please review! **


	3. Broken

**BELLA**

I sat on the bed just staring at Jacob for a long time after Alice left. I had been hoping for a little time to prepare before I talked to him about this. How do you tell your best friend and would-be soul mate that you're pregnant with his child? How do you make him understand that this doesn't change your feelings towards him? More importantly, how was I supposed to tell a werewolf that I wanted to raise his daughter in a family full of vampires? None of that was going to go over very well, and I didn't have any idea how I was going to tell him any of it.

It didn't help that he was staring back at me with eyes full of concern and even a little fear. What did he think I was going to tell him?

"Look, if this is about last night," he said when it was clear I wasn't going to speak. "I already told you in the letter that I know this was a one-time deal. I understand that you love Edward, and he's your husband. I know this will never happen again, and I'm okay with that."

Hearing him say the words, I could tell he wasn't being entirely honest. Some part of him really wanted me to tell him that I was going to divorce Edward and give him the chance he always wanted. This whole thing would be so much easier if I could just say those words to him. I couldn't, though.

I loved Edward with my whole heart and soul. Nothing short of him kicking me out and asking for a divorce—both quite possible after I tell him that I am having another man's baby—was going to make me leave him now that I had decided I was going to stay in Forks.

"I know." I told Jacob with a sad smile. "I also know that's not entirely true, and I'm sorry I can't give you the part of me you so desperately want. I love you, Jacob, you know that, but I…"

"You love him more." Jacob finished for me. "I get. I do. I will never have you the way he does, and I'm slowly becoming okay with that. I want to be in your life, Bella, even if that means just being your friend. What happened last night was just a moment of vulnerability on both are parts. And honestly, I should've stopped it, but I didn't want to."

He looked down at the bed like it was something to be ashamed of. I supposed in most situations what he did would've been considered "taking advantage" of me, but I didn't see it that way. I had been more than willing to give him what he wanted last night, and I wasn't about to scream rape, because it complicated the situation. I was as much to blame as he was.

"You did nothing wrong, Jacob." I told him, reaching over to take his hand. "You were there for me when I needed you. Yes, things got out of control and crossed a line that we've been drawing for a long time. _I _should've been the one to stop it. I'm the one who's married, not you. I was willing to have sex, both times. I am just as much to blame as you, maybe more."

"But I knew you didn't really feel…"

I sighed and put my finger over his lips to keep him from arguing back with me. This conversation was going nowhere, and I didn't know how much time I had before Edward came back. I wanted to be finished telling Jacob everything before Edward got close enough to hear. It wasn't something he should have to overhear. No, I wanted to tell him myself but, first, I had to tell Jacob, it wouldn't be right if Edward heard it first.

"It happened, Jacob. It doesn't matter whose fault it was." I said. "I consented to it. End of story. We can't change what we did. All we can do is be prepared to face the consequences."

I was surprised when that last bit came out of my mouth, especially considering I hadn't been ready to face the consequences when I woke up this morning. No, I was planning to run from them until I found out about the baby that was soon going to be growing inside me. I could face the consequences for her, as a mother, I honestly had no choice.

"You mean by telling Edward." Jacob said as his face fell. I could tell then that he had been hoping that this was going to stay between the two of us.

Even if I had chosen to leave, that would've never happened. The note I wrote to Edward explained exactly what I did and my apology for it. I wasn't going to lie to the man I loved about what I had done with another man. It wouldn't be fair to him.

"I was going to tell him, no matter what, but Alice told me something that will soon make it difficult to hide." I explained.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

I could see the wheels in his head turning. I was sure if I gave him another couple of moments, he would've gotten it on his own, but I realized in the moment I needed to say it. It was the only way I could truly make myself believe it.

"You remember when you wanted to get a condom last night, and I told you not to worry about it?" I asked. As badly as I needed to say it, I couldn't make my mouth form the words. They just wouldn't come out. Jacob nodded. "And I'm not on the pill."

Jacob's eyes got wider as he stared at me. He shook his head in disbelief. Still unable to say the words, I grabbed his hand and placed it on my stomach. I knew it was way too early for him to feel anything, but I needed to know that he truly understood what I was trying to tell him. I had to make sure he knew what was going on.

He stared down at our hands in silence. I could feel his hand shaking in mine and knew it had nothing to do with an urge to phase.

**JACOB**

I sat there staring down at the shaking hand that rested on Bella's stomach trying to make sense of what she was telling me. It didn't take a rocket scientist to understand that she was pregnant; a possibility neither one of us had really considered when we decided not to go for the condom the night before. I just couldn't believe it was all happening so quickly.

I woke up this morning after a call from Sam, accepting the fact that what happened between Bella and I probably wouldn't happen again. I was even beginning to accept that I would only ever be her friend. I had come over here after my meeting with the pack to make sure she was all right—like any good friend would—and discuss what we were going to about last night. I had no doubt that she would want to tell Edward. I didn't want her to, but I wasn't going to make her go through that alone.

I hadn't expected to have her tell me that she was pregnant with my baby. It opened up a whole new set of options for our future; options I was too pessimistic to even consider possible. There were also questions, so many questions. I didn't know what to ask first.

"I don't understand." I finally said, unable to pull my hand away from her stomach. It was way too early to feel anything, but I couldn't stop marveling at the idea that it was my baby inside her. "We did it less than 24 hours ago. How can you know already?"

Bella sighed. "Alice told me."

"That still doesn't make sense." I said. "Alice isn't supposed to be able to see werewolves."

"I know." Bella answered, pulling my hand from her stomach and entwining her fingers with mine. "I don't know what happened either. I was having a serious fit of guilt and preparing to leave Forks. And Alice…"

"What?" I cut her off unable to believe what she had just said. "You were going to leave us. Why would you do that? Surely, you know nothing you can do would make either of us want you out of our lives."

Bella shrugged and let out a long sigh. "I thought it would be better for all of us, and I tried to explain that to Alice. She wasn't buying it, though. In fact, she started spewing out details of what the future held for all of us if I walked out that door. I refused to believe any of it, until she mentioned my daughter."

"It's a girl?" I asked in amazement. I was a little disappointed that she had revealed the sex. I always wanted to be surprised by that, but when the mother of your child was friends with a psychic, you just had to get used to not being surprised.

"Yes." Bella answered. "Alice couldn't tell me how she was able to see the baby or anything else that would've happened if I had left, but I've learned to never doubt Alice. I may have fought her because I wanted to leave, but I didn't doubt anything she saw was going to happen. So when she mentioned our daughter would be in danger from the Volturi, I believed her. That's why I'm here, now."

I nodded as a millions other questions ran through my mind. I was glad that she had decided to stay and all, but that just opened up this whole situation to a new realm of problems.

"So what are we going to do about the baby?" I asked.

"I've been asking myself the same question since Alice dropped the bombshell." Bella answered. "And I've only gotten as far as I'm keeping the baby, but I'm not going to leave Edward unless he tells me that's what he wants."

I figured she'd say that. I was surprised to find that it didn't bother me much to know that a family of vampires would be helping me raise my baby. True, it could cause some complications in the future, but right now, it didn't matter to me. The only thing that mattered was Bella's decision to have the baby, and she, Edward, and I deciding how best to make it work.

"I know things will be complicated, but I have no doubt that we will be able to work it out." Bella continued.

"Yes, we will work it out." I told her. "And we can get into the details of it, once we've told Edward."

"You mean, once I've told Edward." Bella replied. "He's my husband, and I'm the one who cheated on him and am having another man's baby. It is my responsibility to tell him, not yours. You just go back to La Push and let this news sink in and I will deal with Edward."

"No way." I shook my head. She wasn't the only one who had done something wrong in this situation, and I wasn't going to let her take on the burden alone. We were both responsible for the baby growing inside her, and I wasn't going to make her face Edward alone. I had no doubt he would forgive her, and they would move on with their lives, but he would be angry. I wasn't going to make her face that anger alone. "It takes two to do what we did, Bella. I am just as much to blame as you. We will tell him together and figure things out from there."

"Jacob, I…"

I pressed two of my fingers to her lips to keep her from talking.

"Bella, regardless of our current relationship, we are about to be parents, which means we are in this together, whether you like it or not." I said. "And we are going to tell Edward all about this together, so don't argue. Just let me do my job as a father and your best friend."

"Okay." She said through my fingers. "We will tell Edward together."

"Good." I said removing my fingers from her lips. "Now when is he coming home?"

**EDWARD**

"What's the rush?" Emmett asked as I drove us back to Forks at nearly 30 miles over the speed limit.

Alice's call had been ominous and completely unexpected. She had assured me that Bella's safety wasn't an issue but assured me that I wasn't going to like what Bella had to say to me. That, combined with the fact that Bella was currently with Jacob had me suddenly afraid about the state of my marriage. Had Bella suddenly changed her mind after less than a month of being married to me?

I hoped Alice would've given me more warning than a cryptic phone call if Bella had truly been intended to leave me for the dog. Yet, I couldn't shake the sadness in her tone when she whispered sorry before hanging up. If Bella wasn't going to leave me, what did Alice have to apologize for? I didn't understand.

"Alice's phone call has him on edge." Jasper answered, correctly assessing my emotions. "He is terrified about whatever Bella has to tell him."

"Dude, whatever it is can't be that bad." Emmett said, squeezing my shoulder. "I haven't seen anyone more in love than the two of you. Whatever it is, you two will work it out. It is hardly going to be the end of your marriage."

"You don't understand, Emmett." I growled, pressing the gas pedal down harder as we reached the outskirts of Washington; something that should've taken us more than two hours to do. "She's with the mutt right now. That can't be good."

"Jacob is her best friend, Edward." Esme said in her usual motherly tone. "I'm sure she is just talking to him about whatever is going on with her. I'm sure it's nothing more."

"But what if she's telling him that she wants to leave me for him?" I expressed my worst fear, knowing Jasper would feel it and probably tell everyone in the car. "What if, after the honeymoon, she's decided that she can't be with me anymore?"

I had been afraid Bella would decide she didn't want to be married to a monster after that disaster of a honeymoon. We had sex numerous times over the month we were on the island, and I hurt her less and less every time. But what if the fact that I couldn't even give her that one thing without leaving bruises all over her made her decide that she couldn't be with me anymore?

"Edward," Rosalie said in her usual haughty tone. "You've been back from the honeymoon for two weeks now. If she was going to leave you, she would've done it by now."

"Not if…" I started.

"Whatever it is, we will find out soon enough, son." Carlisle said from his spot behind me. "Just get us home without killing anybody and we will find out what is wrong when we get there. There is no point torturing yourself until you know what is really happening."

"Besides," Jasper added. "Alice would've told you if Bella was going to leave. She loves you too much to let you walk into something like that blind. I'm sure, whatever it is, isn't that serious."

"I hope you are right." I sighed, letting off the gas a little.

Carlisle was right. It wouldn't be good if I killed an innocent human because I was concerned about the state of my marriage. Still, I couldn't let go of the fear that Bella was about to shake our relationship to its core.

**DAMIEN**

"Aro is starting to get suspicious about your absence." Danica said. She was sitting on the edge of the desk in my hotel room swinging her legs back and forth.

It reminded me of when she used to sit on the little bench in our foyer waiting for me to get home from work. Every day, without fail, I would walk in the door and see her sitting there, swinging her feet impatiently, for half a second before she slid off and launched herself into my arms. I would pick her up and spin her around, telling her how much I missed her while I was at work. She would kiss me on the cheek and tell me all about her day.

God, I missed those days. I was glad I had been granted a chance to hang on to her, but it wasn't the same as when she and Melanie were alive. They were both just a faint shadow of the people they used to be, and I hated it. I would've given anything to be able to hold both of them in my arms one last time.

"I'm almost finished putting my plan into action." I responded, flopping down on the bed. This week had been a long and difficult one, and I wanted nothing more than to sleep, but those monsters had even taken that from me. "Tomorrow, I have to visit the company who is interested in Rob Anderson, and convince them to hire him. Once that's done, I will return to Volterra, and wait out the next seventeen years."

"And what are you going to tell Aro when you return?" Danica asked. "He is going to be very upset that you left without permission and expect an explanation. I don't want you to get in trouble, Daddy."

"Don't worry, sweetheart." I sat up on the bed and flashed her a sad smile. "I will tell him the truth, but I will leave out the details."

"And how will that keep you out of trouble, Dam." Melanie asked as she materialized next to me on the bed. "You left Volterra to come to Forks without his permission. He may not be able to see into your mind, but he is going to think it is suspicious that you would come here of all places."

"Not really." I shrugged. I had been planning my excuses for my return since the moment I left. I knew Aro wouldn't take disobedience lightly, and that I'd probably be in trouble no matter what. "I'll simply tell him that I needed to see the Cullens for myself."

Even though, I had known all along that the Cullens truly existed, I couldn't believe that there would be a family of vampires who didn't feed on humans. I honestly had to see this miracle for myself. Everyone in Volterra knew that I truly didn't believe in their existence. I would simply explain to Aro that I needed to see it for myself. I would leave out my extracurricular activities, of course. I didn't want Aro and his brothers to know anything about that until it was too late for him to stop it.

"Are sure that's going to be enough to keep you out of trouble?" Melanie asked in a sad tone. Even in life, she had been more concerned about Danica and me than herself. I supposed it didn't matter anymore now that she and Danica were dead. Mel's spirit needed someone to worry about and fret over, though. Seeing as I couldn't save her life, I didn't begrudge her the need to worry about me after death.

"Probably not, but it will be less of a punishment if I pass it off as mere curiosity, instead of outright betrayal." I told her wishing I could put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She hated seeing me in trouble of any kind, and I hated seeing her worry about me.

I just wish she could understand this was the only way to make those monsters pay for what they did to our family.

**BELLA**

Jacob and I talked for a long time after deciding we would talk to Edward about our indiscretions together. We didn't really talk too much about how we were going to tell Edward what happened. Neither one of us wanted to face that conversation before we actually had to. Instead, we discussed baby names and how we were going to raise our daughter between a werewolf and a vampire family. It wasn't going to be easy, but we would find a way to make it work. I could only pray that Edward would be okay with it.

Alice didn't return for three hours after she left Jacob and me to talk. I didn't want to take too much time to wonder where she was. I imagined she was giving Edward some kind of heads up about the conversation he was going to be having with me. I also figured she would be explaining the whole situation to the others, so they could play referees if need be. I really hoped Edward wouldn't be angry enough to go after Jacob, but I honestly didn't know.

Edward had always been extremely tolerant of my relationship with Jacob. Somehow, I thought having sex with Jacob and getting pregnant with his baby was crossing the line. I could only hope that he could control his anger when we dropped the bomb. I didn't want to raise my baby alone because my husband got pissed and killed her father.

"Bella, five minute warning." Alice said, appearing out of nowhere—when she finally did return. "He knows that you want to talk to him, but he doesn't know why. I informed the others of everything while Edward was changing. They will be on stand by while you guys are talking."

"Thank you, Alice." I said after taking a deep breath and trying to calm my racing heart. This was my husband; the man who loved me more than anything else in the world. He would forgive me for this, and everything would be fine. It had to be.

"Breathe, Bella." Jacob whispered, squeezing my hand. "Whatever happens, we will all get through it. I'm not going anywhere, and if Edward is any kind of a man he won't either."

"Watch it, dog." Alice growled. "That is my brother you are talking about."

"I didn't mean anything by it." Jacob held up his hands in surrender. He hadn't wanted to start a fight. He just wanted to comfort me through this.

Alice opened her mouth to respond, but the opening of the front door cut her off. Edward had arrived.

"Bella!" His voice carried up the stairs as he practically slammed the door. I was suddenly terrified of doing this. "Alice said you needed to talk."

"Good luck." Alice whispered before disappearing out the window.

"Yes." I called down to him. "Jacob and I will be down in a minute."

"Think about something else." I whispered to Jacob. "He doesn't need to hear it in your thoughts."

"I will do my best." Jacob responded as we headed down the stairs.

**EDWARD**

Once Bella called back her greeting, I walked into the living room and sat down in Charlie's favorite armchair. I took a few unnecessary breaths to prepare myself for whatever it was that I was about to hear. I could hear the family some distance away. They were all expertly blocking themselves, which led me to believe that Alice had filled them in, and they were waiting in the wings in case I lost control.

This knowledge did nothing to improve my fears of what I was about to hear. It didn't help that the mutt was going to be having this conversation with us. He too was doing a fantastic job of blocking his thoughts. Jesus Christ, what was going on!

I listened as Jacob and Bella made their way down the stairs and braced myself for what I'd see when they came around the corner.

Unfortunately, nothing could prepare me for what I saw. The two were holding hands, and Bella had tears sparkling in her eyes. Yup, this was going to be the end of my marriage.

Jacob's thoughts were switching too fast for me to get a good grip on them, and Bella looked terrified of my reaction. Did she think that I was going to hurt either one of them for this?

As much as I would like to kill Jacob for stealing what was mine, there was no way I would hurt Bella like that. All I ever wanted was for her to be happy, even if it wasn't with me. Surely, she knows I wouldn't deny her happiness by hurting the man she loved, just because it was no longer me.

Yes, this was going to hurt a lot, but I would let the mutt live, because I loved Bella too much to see her in that kind of pain. It was the driving force behind everything that I have done for her. Surely she knew that.

I stood up and walked over to them. I wouldn't hurt Jacob, but I certainly wasn't going to sit around and let them stomp on my heart. If they were going to break my heart, then I wanted it to be quick so I could get out of there before I did something I'd regret.

"I don't want excuse or reasons." I said, looking between them. "All you have to do is tell me that you want to be with him, and I will walk away. I will even have the paperwork mailed to you, so you don't have to see me again. Just tell me that is what you want."

Bella's eyes widen in shock and horror. Apparently, I had jumped to the wrong conclusion. Still, I couldn't see what they could possibly need to tell me with my entire family on standby, and Jacob blocking his thoughts like his life depended on it.

"That's what you think this is?" Bella asked, releasing Jacob's hand and wrapping her arms around me. "No, Edward." I hugged her back. "I love you, and I'm not leaving you for anyone." She pulled away from me. The tears had started falling down her cheeks. "Unless you want me to?"

"Why would I want that?" I asked, wiping her tears with my thumbs. "Nothing you can do would make me want you to leave me. I love you, Bella, more than anything else in this world."

"Please." She practically begged. "Save the speech until this conversation is over. You may change your mind by then."

I sighed still unable to believe how much she doubted my feelings for her. It would take a lot for me to want her to leave. I wished she would understand that.

"Say what you need to say, so we can get past this and go home." I told her.

She took a deep breath and grabbed my hand. We entwined our fingers, and she squeezed my hand as tightly as she could.

"Last night, I got bored at home and thought I'd be okay to come here and go through Charlie's things." She started explaining. "I was wrong. I couldn't handle it alone, and I didn't want to bother you while you were hunting, so I…"

"Bella, you know all you had to do was call, and I would've been there." I cut her off. "I would drop everything if you needed me."

"I know." She said. "But I'm not gonna let you starve every time I have a crazy emotional human moment. That's why I called the next best person: Jacob."

I sighed unsure of how I felt about that. I was glad Jacob had been able to be there for her, but I didn't like that she had chosen to go to him over me, no matter what the reason.

"It started out innocent, enough." Bella continued. "But it didn't stay that way long. We ended up having sex, twice."

I dropped her hand and stepped back from her as I processed this information. My wife had cheated on me with her werewolf best friend who she happened to be in love with. In some ways, that was worse than her leaving me for him.

As I tried to process how I was feeling, Jacob's thoughts started to slow down as fear of my reaction took over. If I was having this much trouble with finding out they slept together, he wondered what finding out the other part was going to do to me.

I had just been about to ask what the other part was, when Jacob's thought stopped on it. I wasn't sure if he did it on purpose or just couldn't avoid thinking about it any longer. Either way, I had just discovered what the big deal was and it hurt me a million times more than finding out she had slept with the dog.

"You got her pregnant!"

**A/N: What do you guys think? Edward's part at the end didn't go exactly how I wanted it to, but things were getting too long, I had to end it. I will put more of his emotions into the next chapter. And what do you guys think about finding out more about Damien? Are you liking what you know so far? Let me know what you think! **


End file.
